Mark Hamill

While most artists strove to hone a single craft and spend their lives inhabiting that one world, actor Mark Hamill navigated a universe that went from feature films to television and voiceovers for v...
Read More...

The name Peter Mayhew for the most part only rings bells for the most ardent Star Wars enthusiasts. The 7-foot-2 actor, who donned the costume of Chewbacca in the original trilogy, was lumped in with Kenny Baker, Anthony Daniels and David Prowse, the faceless group behind R2-D2, C3PO and Darth Vader, respectively –recognizable only if you're a regular Comic-Con attendee.
Mayhew, however, has suddenly found himself with a legion of new followers on Twitter (@TheWookieeRoars) after he recently began tweeting photos that he has from the sets of the Star Wars films. There have been hundreds of pages devoted to George Lucas' brainchild, yet the photos that Mayhew has put out there for public consumption highlight a personal aspect that is frequently missing. It took a Wookiee to remind us that the people behind Star Wars, including Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill, are just human beings, after all.
In particular, Mayhew's obvious affection for Fisher is on display. In one photo, Fisher plants a playful kiss on Chewbacca and the actress is never without a smile in the snapshots. In a picture that sent older fan-boys into near cardiac arrest, Fisher is seen sunning herself in the famous Princess Leia slave outfit, along with her identically dressed stunt double. The picture stands in stark contrast to Fisher's long-standing complaints about having to wear the costume.
Equally arresting are the pictures featuring a younger, jovial Ford. It's been a long, long time since the erstwhile Han Solo was willing to let his guard down, but Mayhew's shots of Ford flashing the lopsided grin that made him famous help remind us why he became a superstar apart from Star Wars.
There are also shots of the other hidden players in and out of costume, including Daniels in his C3PO costume trying to stay out of the hot Tunisian sun.
It's like looking at someone's family photo album, only populated with famous people and iconic characters. Seeing Mayhew's picture of Ford and Hamill just sitting on a couch in sweaters looks like it could've come from anybody's stash of pictures from 1979, which is the beauty of it. Unlike publicity photos or even ones taken by a set photographer, Mayhew's shots are really just his pictures of himself with some friends. The fact that it's all taking place on some of the most famous sets in the history of cinema is completely secondary.
Mayhew's original tweet before uploading the treasure trove of pictures said that he was "feeling nostalgic." The man behind Chewbacca was kind enough to share the trip down memory lane with Star Wars fans everywhere and in the process put a human face back on the sci-fi epic. Hopefully, writer-director J.J. Abrams remembers to do the same with the forthcoming Episode VII.
Follow @Hollywood_com
//

Carrie Fisher has confirmed she will be reprising her role as Princess Leia in the upcoming Star Wars: Episode Vii. Fisher, Harrison Ford and Mark Hamill have been linked to returning roles in the J.J. Abrams' blockbuster for months and now the actress reveals all three will be back.
She tells TV Guide magazine the trio is expected to report to work in March or April (14).
She says, "I'd like to wear my old hairstyle again - but with white hair. I think that would be funny."
Earlier this week (begs20Jan14), Abrams confirmed he has met with Breaking Bad star Jesse Plemons over a possible Star Wars role.

The small screen has never had more big acclaim than it does right now. Forget the days of the boob tube being the last bastion of once top-flight actors and actresses, just trying to squeeze one more ounce out of their respective fame long after the halcyon days of the silver screen were gone. Today, thanks primarily to first-run cable networks showcasing shows of unparalleled critical acclaim, it has also never been a better time to be a fan of all-things-TV at Christmas. We proudly present just a few such offerings – with, ironically, no TV actually needed (particularly if you prefer to watch on your phone or computer). After all, who needs weekly TV at all if you have full seasons just an arm’s length away?
Ursula Coyote/AMC
Breaking Bad: The Complete Series (Barrel Edition)
The whole series. Everything. All in one shot. A Pollos Hermanos apron. Plus, a two-hour documentary - and 55 hours of bonus material. Inside a freakin’ barrel. Whoa.
The Mystery Science Theater 3000 25th Anniversary Edition
No joke here (for once) as the MST 3000 gang comes together in a five-disc set with plenty of flicks, fun and bonus features.
Robotech: The Complete Set
One of the first anime imports back in 1985, this set collects (and remasters) every episode of Robotech: Macross; Masters and New Generation. Mecha-fantastic gift for any animation fan.
Naked City: The Complete Series
There are eight million stories in the Naked City – with 138 of them finding their way onto 29 discs in this epic set from the landmark series, a docu-drama filmed on location in New York with guest stars like Hackman, Redford, Duvall, Walken and Hoffman, just to name a few.
Murder, She Wrote: The Complete Series
For the first time ever, get all 12 seasons on 63 discs – in one collection – as Angela Lansbury (as Jessica Fletcher) is on the job in 264 thrilling episodes.
Follow @Hollywood_com
//

A costume worn by Mark Hamill in Star Wars is expected to fetch as much as $45,000 (£30,000) at auction. The poncho worn by Hamill's character Luke Skywalker in 1977's Star Wars: A New Hope is among the items featured in Christie's Pop Culture online sale.
The auction includes 100 lots of props, photographs, artwork, instruments and other iconic items from the world of music and film.
Also up for sale is the Tom Ford-designed suit and cuff links worn by Daniel Craig as James Bond in Skyfall, and a trumpet played by jazz legend Louis Armstrong, which expected to bring in as much as $12,000 (£8,000).
The black lace Jean Paul Gaultier evening gown worn by Lady Gaga on the red carpet at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards is also up for sale, along with a dress worn by Audrey Hepburn in Paris When It Sizzles, and stage costumes donned by Britney Spears, Madonna and Freddie Mercury.
The Pop Culture lots have been put on display at Christie's auction house in London until 5 December (13). Fans can bid on the items in the exhibition in the online-only auction until 5 December (13).

Actor Samuel L. Jackson is considering joining forces with Mark Hamill and Ewan Mcgregor to lobby director J.J. Abrams in person for roles in the new Star Wars sequel after revealing he hasn't been invited to reprise his sci-fi character. The Django Unchained star, who portrayed Jedi Master Mace Windu in three of the six Star Wars films, recently found himself working with Hamill in London and decided to ask the original Luke Skywalker if he had officially been offered a job in Abrams' upcoming seventh film.
He also quizzed McGregor, who played Obi-Wan Kenobi opposite him in the most recent films, about Star Wars: Episode VII and was surprised to discover that none of the trio had been recruited for the top secret project.
Jackson tells U.S. talk show host David Letterman, "I asked Mark if he'd heard from J.J. Abrams and he said, 'No', and then all of a sudden, Ewan was there (in London) and I spoke to him on the phone, asked him if he was there doing Star Wars. He said, 'No, they haven't called me.'
"So I was thinking, maybe all three of us could just get together and go over to the Star Wars set and just stand around and see if maybe they could use some old Jedi! And then I heard on television they were auditioning people for Star Wars and I said, 'Well, maybe we should just go through the auditions and see if we can get a job!'"
Jackson admits he's a little disappointed at the prospect of not appearing in Episode VII after making it clear to Abrams that he would jump at the chance to return to the franchise after they were both guests at Star Wars creator George Lucas' summer (13) nuptials.
He adds, "I pretty much hinted to J.J. that I wanted to be in the film at George Lucas' wedding, and he was kinda like, 'Mmm', that was about the most I got out of him."
Official casting announcements have yet to be made, but Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher had all previously been asked by Lucas to make appearances in the forthcoming sequel, while young actors Michael B. Jordan and Irish beauty Saoirse Ronan have confirmed that they recently auditioned for parts.
Production on Star Wars: Episode VII is set to begin in the U.K. early next year (14).

A long time ago...in a galaxy far, far away...everyone loved the original Star Wars movies, their mere mention evoking a pleasant rekindling of childhood nostalgia for an entire generation born before 1980 or so. However – quicker than your tauntaun freezing before it hits that first marker on Hoth – that all changed with the next trilogy. In fact, little Anakin wasn’t through one-loop of that pod race on Tatooine before many already bailed on the new installments, subsequently brushing off the series as a whole. Now, while for this writer’s money, the last half of the latter trilogy is as good as anything in the first, now is not the time for stoking the fires of Mustafar. That ship has sailed. Instead, we gaze ahead to the future. To 2015. To the new movies from Disney – and things every Star Wars fan should rightly fear.
Lucasfilm via Everett Collection
"The boy has no patience."
Was Yoda talking about Mickey Mouse? Perhaps so, given the studio’s insistence on a 2015 release. Don’t just make it to make it, guys. Make it good.
The Jar Jar Factor
It’s undeniable. The shadow of the classic misstep from trilogy two looms larger over even these flicks. Will Disney go for cute or cool with new characters?
To sing the impossible song
Surely I can’t be the only one to wonder if Disney will throw in more music into the Star Wars saga. Its animated offerings are chock full of this stuff. Shudder.
And we thought Obi-Wan was old
Can the original stars still kick Imperial butt? Will the Force still be strong with Hamill, Ford and Fisher? Or will that just be the stench of Ben Gay coming from their trailers?
Less is more. More is less
Will more mixed-reviewed Star Wars flicks further sully the series? A cash cow that literally wrote the rules on merchandising, maybe Lucas was right to sell when he did.
Follow @Hollywood_com
//

Producers behind Star Wars: Episode Vii are reportedly holding open casting calls across the U.K. and Ireland to find unknown actors to fill two lead roles in the highly-anticipated sci-fi sequel. Editors at the BBC claim auditions advertised on the Twitter.com account UKopencall for an untitled "major Hollywood Movie" is, in fact, for the Lucasfilm project, which will be directed by J.J. Abrams and produced by executives at Disney, following their acquisition of Lucasfilm last year (12).
Another message on the Twitter blog reveals the producers are leading a "nationwide search for lead roles for a Disney movie" and are looking for a "street smart and strong" orphan girl in her late teens and a "smart capable" man in his late teens or early 20s.
A representative for Lucasfilm has declined to comment on BBC reporters' suspicions, but the character descriptions are said to be similar to Star Wars sequel summaries that leaked online earlier this year (13).
Star Wars bosses are no strangers to open casting calls - original trilogy star Mark Hamill was an unknown actor when he won the role of Luke Skywalker in the 1970s.
Atonement star Saoirse Ronan and actor Michael B. Jordan have both confirmed they have auditioned for roles in the new Star Wars movie, while original franchise star Anthony Daniels, who portrayed loyal robot C-3PO in all six films, recently let slip that he will be back for the seventh installment.
Production on Star Wars: Episode VII is expected to begin in the U.K. in early 2014.

At this year's Comic-Con, Star Wars fans were treated to a never-before-seen blooper reel from the original Star Wars, and the clip has just surfaced on the Internet for the rest of the world to enjoy.
The two-minute clip is a fantastic glimpse at some of the fumbles that occurred while creating the biggest film franchise ever. In the footage, we see what appears to be C-3PO trying to scale a sand dune, only to fall to his side (too much sand in those mechanical joints). Also, Stormtroopers cement their reign as the most bungling henchmen in the known universe in a comical sequence featuring the armor-clad soldiers attempting to make their way through a hole in the wall, and tripping and slipping on everything in a ballet of incoordination. It's almost as if the clip was expressly made to be turned into a GIF in the year 2013. I'm not sure why the Rebel Alliance was all that worried when a waist-high wall was all you needed to stop the Empire in its tracks.
Neil Bowyer/YouTube
There's also a scene with Harrison Ford munching on his mic in frustration after fudging one of his lines, and one of Mark Hamill pondering where he should put the emphasis in the word "supernova." It's charming to see the clumsy beginnings of the Star Wars saga, a series that is now approaching its 40th anniversary and seventh feature film. This clip goes to show that even the most storied of film franchises can be a little messy at times.
(via)
Follow @Hollywood_com
Follow @CurrentlyJordan

20th Century Fox
The biggest question mark of the cinematic horizon is Star Wars: Episode VII. With the capability and artistic intentions of J.J. Abrams already up for debate and the murky promise (or threat) of Original Trilogy stars Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and Harrison Ford looming as cast list potentials, all we need now is a writer to drop out to further stir up the uncertainty about the ultimate quality of our next foray into George Lucas' galaxy. And so it is. The Hollywood Reporter reports that screenwriter Michael Arndt is no longer involved with crafting the script for Episode VII, though no mention is made of why or how his departure came about. Filling in for Arndt on scripting duties will be director Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan, who wrote Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.
On the one hand, the presence of Kasdan glimmer with the OT veneer: Empire is widely considered the strongest of the Star Wars movies, and it might be reassuring to some Lucasfilm purists to have a mind from the glory days on board. But it was that entrenchment to cling so adherently to the mythology and spirit of the originals that resulted in the Prequel Trilogy, a failure by the standards of most hoping for a revisit to the magic born in '77. As such, a talent independent from the Star Wars universe might have been favorable.
Maybe Arndt wasn't quite the right choice. He wrote the screenplays for greats like Little Miss Sunshine and Toy Story 3 — two excellent movies in their own right, but ones that might not showcase his ability to handle a broad, fantastical world like Star Wars. In company with a partner known for this skill, perhaps Arndt's touch for the personal might have worked.
But we're left, instead, with Kasdan and Abrams. The former in position solely on the bounties of "legacy" (not always the best tool to use in rebooting a franchise), and the other amid a slow slip from grace after Star Trek Into Darkness and the more defensible but still sub-par Super 8. Both movies in which he exhibited his preference to put old toys in a glass case for us to look at rather than recreating and reimagining vast, fruitful ideas. So is the decision to bring on Kasdan more of Abrams' ploys to live through his nostalgia, or will Kasdan be able to channel his old stories in a new, inventive way?
Follow @Michael Arbeiter
//
| Follow @Hollywood_com
//

Everett Collection
After previously stating that he would be interested in reprising his role as Hans Solo in Star Wars: Episode VII, Harrison Ford has changed his tune and says that he still hasn't decided if he wants to be in the film, according to CinemaBlend.com.
In an interview on the UK's Graham Norton Show on BBC, Ford revealed that "he had not quite made the choice" to accept a cameo in the film, which is in great contrast to when he told WGN TV in March 2013 that he was "looking forward to it."
However, just because he might turn down a cameo in Star Wars, it doesn't mean that he's done with all of his famous characters. In the same interview with Norton, he said that he would have no problem gallavanting as Indiana Jones in a fifth adventure.
"I would do it in a New York minute, yes," Ford said. "I don't think there is any barrier to Indiana Jones being an old fart." Clearly he's not opposed to reliving old glory.
Star Wars: Episode VII is set for release in 2015.
More:Simon Pegg Wants No Part of 'Star Wars: Episode 7'The 20 'Star Wars' Origin Stories We'd Like to SeeAlex Pettyfer and Rachel Hurd-Wood Rumored for 'Star Wars: Episode 7'
Follow @CaseyRackham
//
Follow @hollywood_com
//
From Our Partners:
A Complete History Of Twerking (1993-2013) (Vh1)15 Stars Share Secrets of their Sex Lives (Celebuzz)

Made primetime series debut as teenager Doobie Wheeler on short-lived ABC sitcom "The Texas Wheelers"

Had title role in Broadway production of "The Nerd"

Made TV movie debut in NBC "Hallmark Hall of Fame" production "Eric"

Played nasty villain The Trickster on two episodes of CBS series "The Flash"

Co-wrote limited series comic book The Black Pearl

Summary

While most artists strove to hone a single craft and spend their lives inhabiting that one world, actor Mark Hamill navigated a universe that went from feature films to television and voiceovers for video games. Most significantly, Hamill portrayed one of the most identifiable characters in film and pop culture history, Luke Skywalker, the farm boy-turned-Jedi Knight in "Star Wars" (1977), "The Empire Strikes Back" (1980) and "Return of the Jedi" (1983). Despite the enormity of the "Star Wars" trilogy and its place in cinema history, Hamill's later film career faltered, only for him to reemerge to breathe life into various animated characters. Because "Star Wars" creator George Lucas spun the films off into comic books, animated series and video games, Hamill was assured work reprising Skywalker for years. On the stage, he had a critically praised turn in "The Elephant Man," "Amadeus" and "Harrigan n' Hart." But it was his return to his original love of comic books that saw him voice scores of characters for film, television, and video games, most notably Skywalker and The Joker on "Batman: The Animated Series" (Fox, 1992-95). Though he branched out into multiple mediums, Hamill remained an icon for portraying a single character in arguably the biggest trilogy in cinema history.

Name

Role

Comments

William Hamill

Father

Chelsea Hamill

Daughter

Born July 27, 1988; mother, Marilou York

Griffin Hamill

Son

Born March 4, 1983; mother, Marilou York

Nathan Hamill

Son

Born June 25, 1979; mother, Marilou York

Marilou York

Wife

Married Dec. 17, 1978

Education

Name

Los Angeles City College

Notes

On acting in front of a green screen: "I came the week of pre-production before we actually started shooting ['Wing Commander III'] to look at all the toys. I walked on the set, and there was that big green screen, and I immediately flashed back to Jabba's palace [in 'Return of the Jedi'] and George [Lucas] saying 'In about 10 years, these kinds of movies will be prohibitively expensive. What we wanted to do [was] build Jabba's palace puppet sized, put it next door and have you guys all on blue screen to put you in the palace later. It'll save millions.'"

"I thought about that, and I jokingly said, 'Good, George. You're going to make it even harder on the actors. Already, we're looking at a piece of tape for our planet exploding. Now you're going to take away the set and the props? You're getting one step further removed from reality. What's next, blue body stockings so you can mat in a new [pair of] trousers?'"

"And here I was, just over 10 years later, doing exactly the things he predicted. You're climbing ladders that lead to nowhere, yet you look down at the monitor, and you've got your ship right there. It's the very essence of what actors do. We pretend." – Hamill in CINESCAPE, October 1994

About being a CD-ROM star: "I kind of embarrass [my kids]. They'll be playing 'Wing Commander' and all of a sudden their dad shows up on screen." – Hamill in Entertainment Weekly, Oct. 13, 1995

"My kids run me ragged, so that's where I get my exercise – I don't have a real regimen. Also, I don't agree that I haven't aged. It's like when people say to me, 'I can't believe you haven't seen 'Star Wars' since it first came out.' I say, 'You ever look at your old high school yearbook? Ewww. How could I ever leave the house with my hair looking like that?!'" – Hamill quoted in CINEFANTASTIQUE, March 1997